This Wound Is Self-inflicted

June 23, 2006

Talk about the campaign fund-raising scandal that would not die.

On the eve of a final report, a new wrinkle may prolong a legislative investigation into a settlement by the state Elections Enforcement Commission, which fined state agency heads $500 each for accepting invitations to a Dec. 7 fundraiser for the re-election campaign of Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

The invitations were handed to them at the Capitol by Mrs. Rell's chief of staff, M. Lisa Moody, in violation of the governor's ethical standards. They were received by state commissioners for redistribution to staff in violation of state law prohibiting state employees from campaigning while on the clock.

Jeffrey B. Garfield, executive director of the Elections Enforcement Commission, has himself to blame if Democrats persist in reopening the hearings conducted by the legislature's Government Administration and Elections Committee on his agency's handling of the Moody matter.

Mr. Garfield testified credibly a month ago before the committee, headed by Rep. Christopher Caruso of Bridgeport and Sen. Edward Meyer of Guilford, both Democrats. But it turns out Mr. Garfield failed to provide complete information from his agency's draft report on the fund-raising investigation, and did not give the legislative committee e-mails it requested in April.

The material edited from Mr. Garfield's presentation might have proved embarrassing to the governor and Ms. Moody. But his decision to withhold it from legislators only compounds the embarrassment.

One omission involved the governor's interview by investigators from the chief state's attorney's office in which she was told about a damning remark Ms. Moody made to two state officials. Mr. Garfield said he left out those details as irrelevant to the legislative hearing. But legislators should have been the ones to decide what's relevant.

He also failed to turn over e-mails to the committee between himself and Ms. Moody. In one sequence, she reportedly suggests they go to a restaurant for a drink. Mr. Garfield reportedly declined, but it would have been unethical for them to meet during the investigation of Ms. Moody's actions.

Republican Minority Leader Rep. Robert Ward said Republicans would oppose reopening the hearings, which he termed ``a partisan witch hunt.'' They should cooperate. By balking, the Republicans will only succeed in keeping the topic alive.

Mr. Garfield is a regulator. He cannot be perceived as favoring one party during an investigation. Despite his subsequent apology for omitting the e-mails, and his earlier apology for sharing information inappropriately with Mrs. Rell's campaign manager, his credibility has suffered. The only remedy is to cooperate with legislators and provide complete information.